Blogging My Life

Lytle Creek hike, San Bernardino National Forest

A new way for me up into the San Gabriels. I got a late start, so thoughts of Cucamonga Peak were quickly dismissed, and I settled for Commanche Camp at just under 6,000'.

]]> It was a beautiful day with great views, interesting rocks, and lots of good wildlife: a gorgeous mountain kingsnake, a handsome southern pacific rattlesnake,a deer, some songbirds, lizards everywhere, in pairs and complicated trios, this being springtime and all. There were quite a few flowers I don't recall seeing over on our south side of the mountains. It was also the first buggy hike I've ever done in Southern California. Black flies were in my eyes, ears, and hair the whole trip, with mosquitoes as well in the shade. No rest breaks longer than five minutes; I just couldn't stand it. Must be because of the wet winter. Two hours from trailhead to Commanche Camp, one and a half down. Forty-five minute drive from Claremont. The road up to the trailhead is in bad shape; I made it in my Honda Fit only because I'm stupid and stubborn. Low-clearance vehicles cross several dicey parts. The trail needs some work as well. There were a couple of stretches across eroded, unstable scree with terrifying exposure, literally hundreds of feet nearly straight down to unseen death on rocks hidden below. I won't let my kids hike here until they're twenty or so. :-0 I felt a little spooked at one point myself, and I'm kind of a mountain goat.

"In defense of Polanski"--??

A screenwriter named Michael Chase Walker has been twittering, commenting, and, yesterday, letter-to-the-editoring, variations on this line:

Artists must by definition redefine their own moral universe, and this can be a terrible, ugly and devastating process. But what they "pay back" to us, what they contribute to society are enduring legacies we would barely fathom in our quotidian lives.

Is this guy for real? It sounds so much like satire. We're supposed to walk away from confessed child rape in exchange for the great art mined from the abhorrent behavior?

Mt. San Antonio, record time, record sore

Last Sunday I snuck away and climbed San Antonio for the first time this year. Only tiny patches of snow near the summit and clinging to north slopes. It was cool and breezy and the top, lots of hazy sun. I made the Sierra Club ski hut in 55 minutes, 20 minute snack, and then 1:40 to the summit. I had lunch on West Baldy, a little less crowded than Baldy summit on Memorial Day Weekend! I bombed it straight back to the car, 1:50 and a couple of blisters. Sore thighs ever since! :-(

Luiza's First Day of Real Walking

January 29, 2009 (click picture for video):

More Oliver-isms

Last night I'm sitting Oliver's bed and he comes in eating a banana. His chair is in the middle of the room. He points to the chair and says, "That's my time-out chair. It's blue." I say, "It is, but you can sit there for other reasons too." He says, "Like banana reasons!" and sits down. "Like monkey reasons," he adds....

Oliver's New President

It occurred to me this morning while watching the inauguration that Barack Obama is the first President that Oliver knows about (even though I'm quite sure he doesn't yet have a clue what a President does. Wave a trident and say "so be it," maybe, since King Triton is a likely reference 'round about now.) From all the posters and magazine covers, he learned to recognize Obama's image way back last spring, and he enjoys saying "Barack Obama" very much. This morning he saw all the fuss at the Capitol and we explained that the man we had been seeing and talking about all last year is the "new President." Not "first Black President" or any such thing, just "our new President." It gives me some hope to think that this experience will change the way Black people are perceived by Oliver's and Luiza's generation in the years to come.

Yeah, I feel hopeful today.

Christmas 2008

Luiza's first Christmas. Oliver's third, but his most aware yet. (Ask him about Santa Claus!).

The menu (just the four of us):
Ham with glazed apricots
Succotash with herbes de Provence (sort of Aix-em-Savannah)
Carrots with Marsala (a la Elizabeth David)
Sweet potato and apple purée
Apple and Mincemeat Pie
sugar and pepparkakor cookies
Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne

Lots of Christmas music courtesy of Usenet.

Notable presents:
a laptop lap desk for me, great books
a pink dragon and "The Lonely Moose" for Oliver (his pick, my pick, respectively)

It's super quiet in the dorm! Haven't seen a campus safety patrol even since Dec. 23! The dog walker and jogger comes by. Beautiful views of the snow-drenched San Gabriels in between rainstorms.

Oliver-isms at age 3

"Oliver, your five minutes are up." "No! My five minutes are down!" "I don't want that bandaid. That bandaid is ridiculous." For a long time, after returning from Brazil in August and making the difficult transition back to using both English and Portuguese, Oliver said porque for "because" and quando for "when" in all his English sentences. He still says quando, but porque has morphed into "that's why" instead of "because," which makes sense if you look at the literal translation of porque/por que, which, of course, is used both for "why?" and "because." For instance: "It's hot that's why...

Best birthday ever?

With the exception of a couple of California Proposition absurdities (Props 8 & 9), the election results gave me one of the best birthdays ever. Yay Obama! (It is all about me, right?)

Having my parents here for the day was great too :-).

Election profundities

On the WNCT television website, an article on the still-unconfirmed presidential result in North Carolina, includes the following quotation:

Johnnie McLean with the State Board of Elections says, “I believe that the reason that it is that close is that the state was pretty equally divided.”

Uh...makes sense to me!

David Brooks had it right tonight

David Brooks had it right in the post-debate commentary tonight on PBS: these debates basically let both candidate play the "cdroms in their heads." They have been utterly useless exercises in pseudo-democracy.

Citizenry to Scott McClellan: Go to hell

For maybe the only time in my life (unless we have similar taste in ice cream or something), I agree with Karl Rove: Scott McClellan should have spoken up before about his "qualms." One more confirmation of what everybody of any conscience and consciousness knew at the time is just not all that helpful. Let's see, help to save hundreds of thousands of innocent lives from a murderous, lying administration or wait for the carnage and the book deal? Screw you!

How about this great prospective tenant?

my is Cindy,25yrs lady straight raised up in United States of American,Am looking for nice peacefully cool place to rent in Ur city on this month, B's have a great project to do in Ur city for my company this month I saw your advert and I am sincerely interested in renting Ur place and I 'am writing just to confirm if you still have the place available for me to rent. More in formations About Me Basically an easy going woman and I am a little on the goth/punk side but get along with most everybody not picky about people.I'll trust you the way you trust me I'm a very outgoing person and also a roommates who are down to earth relaxed and respectful I d stay out of the way and pull my fair share and am a very open minded woman,I would like to extend my friendship, and perhaps even more with an honest gentle roommate of integrity of the area i found my self in I speak many European language- meeting people from other cultures would not impose any difficulty and have spent the last few years raft-guiding in the summer and traveling in the winter. I feel that people that are important to you should be made to feel that they are important. Life is shorter than it should be sometimes. I don't want my roommate ones to wonder if I cared. A good sense of humor is a must! What fun would life be without laughter? I like funny movies, love Jeff Dun ham, Dane Cook, Ron White, etc. I enjoy going to the Comedy Club, and love sit Com's. With all of the bad things and evil in the world today, thank God for laughter and humor! For FUN I enjoy training (karate), walking/running, interior decorating, TV, cooking, flea markets, music, etc. Oh, I'm also a big Tiger fan. I love to go places and do a variety of different things. It would be nice to have someone to share things with. favorite hot spots: I'm not a huge fan of bars, but I do like live music. I enjoy eating out. I enjoy trying new places and new foods. I love to try "hole in the wall" places. I love both the mountains and the beach. I haven't been to either in quite some time though. favorite things: Food: Southern, Italian, Greek, Thai, Chinese, Mexican- Easy to please. Colors: It depends. When it's raining, I like to read, watch TV, cook, cuddle, do puzzles, etc. TV and Music: wide variety of both. (I Love Lucy and Andy- mindless and wholesome) for fun: What I enjoy at 50...HM…. *Laughing with family & friends - they are my core *Shopping for the unique * Walks at sunrise/sunsets *An accurate drive-Thur order *The thought of being a Grandma someday (No rush kids Wait)! I have been single for a few months now and think Im ready for a new adventure. I am an honest and trustworthy person who is looking for mutual respect. I am fun-loving, passionate, silly, hard-working, and have a great sense of humor. I am not perfect, (and do not expect to find "perfect"), and have my scars like the rest of us. But, I have a lot of love, laughter, loyalty, and friendship to offer to the right guy who is looking to enjoy life and a loving relationship. I am a self-employed artist and have a crazy/flexible schedule and love traveling, animals, hiking, walks on the beach, quiet nights at home, going out to see live music of all kinds. I'm really friendly, open mind kind of person, don't get upset for nothing, I'm clean and really organized and when I cook I leave no trace behind Before going back, I hate cheating and riding and I'd love to give the best i can to all my roommate and i knew that its not gonna be easier for only you to be responsible for all the payments method for the house and i think on that i can do every-things to please you to make sure we both both put hands together to pay rent bills and every-things regarding for the house payment regularly and i knew its gonna be a great happiness for you to have a hard working, disciplined,easy going and a clean down earth person, easy to get along with as your roommate preference, if you think am a very lucky lady for you as this time you can rent out your room with please i would appreciate if you can get back with me via my private contact Email Address: siliconcindy @ gmail.com
NOTE: PLS ANSWER THE QUESTION BELOW CAREFULLY

(1) QUESTION`S

(2) Do you like quiet or parties?

(3)Would anyone consider getting to know me & possibly get an
apartment together?

(4) Do you pay your bills on time?

(5) Are you one who eats others leftovers?

(6) What is your biggest pet peeve??

(7) What is your religious background??

(8) Are you married or Do you have a person who would be over often?

(9) cool pic of you and the pics of the room?

(10) little introduction about Ur self?

(11) Total cost to move in as first month rent?

I will be very glad to have all this questions answered with out
leaving a stone unturned.
Pls for quick respond & Fax Email kindly write me back via my gmail
account. siliconcindy@gmail.com

Apartment Scams

If these ever learn just to say "Is the apartment still available," we could be in trouble. In the meantime, who is going consider an inquiry like this?:

Hi, My name is Julian ,22years old,female, a very simple and quiet person to live with. I love travelling, sporting and enjoy meeting people. I don't smoke but do not mind people who do being around me. I am cool, pretty laid and easy going person and like to have a roommate or landlord who is very responsible and understanding . I saw your advert and i am sincerely interested in the room advertised as i will be moving i leave here [Australia].
I am writing just to confirm if you still have the room for
rent..............If YES Please I will like to have answers to the
following questions below:
1) I will like to have the description of the room, size, and the
equipments in there.
2) I will like to have the rent fee per month plus the utilities.
3) I will also be coming with some of my furniture, that is if it is
allowed, like bed, book shelf because I read alot, shoe rank etc
4) If the 4 questions are YES, I will like to know the total cost for
the initial move as in first month rent plus utilities and if deposit
is necessary.
5) I will like to know the major intersection
Note my question is not compusry if you can not answer all.
Thanks as i anxiuosly await your mail. I am looking forward to
hearing from you soon.
Regards
Julian.

Obama versus anti-intellectual pandering...

...from Hillary, not McCain so much, at least not yet. I'm no great fan of Obama, but Hillary and Bill are making me so angry. All the stupid lapel-pin and Minister Wright crap, of course, but also the pandering to the lowest denominator à la "W" that we've seen in response to Obama's completely reasonable theory about "guns and religion" as a bitter response to worsening economic position and then her attacks on economists and their support for Obama's position against the Clinton-McCain gas tax holiday idea. I have this feeling that smart people wouldn't be so routinely vilified in an Obama administration as they have been in the eight-year Bush nightmare, or possibly as in a possible populist Clinton one.